Wrecking-tool



A. DOWNEY.

WRECKING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED mm, 1920.

1,389,820. PatentedSept. 6.1921,.

UNIVTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW DOWNEY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK MARTIN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

WRECKING-TOOL.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ANDREW DowNnY, a citizen of. the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrecking-Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in crow bars, and has for its'general object to provide a tool of this character primarily constructed so as to be particularly used in the capacity of a house wrecking tool, whereby through its use the tool may be successfully employed in prying flooring, siding, lathing and the like from connection with associated joists or other supporting timbers or members.

The invention essentially consists in the provision ofa tool of this character wherein is embodied an elongated handle portion by means of which considerable leverage may be exercised upon the. work at hand, in terminating said handle portion in an offset and angularly disposed tongue, which is so formed as to underlie the floorin or other material to be removed or pried loose from the associated mounting and in the provi- 'sion of transversely extending fulcrum studs, which are disposed contiguous to the lower end of the handle, and so positioned as to be capable of engaging the mounting or joists upon which the flooring is carried, and to thereby provide a fulcrumed support for the tool as a whole, whereby upon the positioning of the tool, the tongue will be located beneath the flooring and the tool as a whole mounted for pivotal movement upon the mounting, thus enabling the tool to be oscillated in such manner as to quickly and readily effect the loosening or removal of the flooring from said mounting.

Another object of the invention resides in so constructing the angularly disposed tongue that the same will embody a relatively wide flat bearing surface, which is so located that upon the oscillation of the tool, said bearing surface will be flatly brought into engagement with the under surface of the flooringover a relatively extended area, this feature materially tends to permit of the removal of the flooring, even when the latter is securel connected with its mounting, without splitting, tearing or otherwise damaging the flooring, or in other words by the provision of the bearing surface, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 372,459.

material removed by the tool will be kept in its original intact condition, and therefore its commercial usage will be preserved.

A further object of the invention resides in forming the fulcrum studs with a plurality of circumferential projections, which serve to maintain the operative positions of the studs in connection with joists or other timbers, and by the provision, said projections are designed to prevent the tool from slipping when power is imparted to the same.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

F or a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description, and to the accompanying drawing, in which latter similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof.

In said drawing:

Figure l. is a perspective view of the crow bar or wrecking tool comprising the preferred form of the present invention, and,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tool disclosing the latter in its use in removing flooring or the like.

Fig. is a plan view of a section of the engaging element of the tool showing the detail of the fulcrum bearing surface.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the present invention comprehends the provision of a crow bar or wrecking tool 1, which may be formed from any suitable material, or from one or more sections. In this instance, the tool 1 is formed to comprise an elongated handle portion 2, which is of such length as to afford proper leverago when the tool is in actual use. The under end of the handle portion terminates in a beveledclaw 3, which is adapted to form a wedge suitable for many purposes in the process of wrecking a building or other analogous structure. It is obvious that the handle portion 2 may be either of hollow or solid cross sectional form, and that the claw 3 may be formed integrally with or separably free from said handle portion, without departing from the general principle of the invention. In View of the 0bvious nature of these different forms, it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate the same in detail.

The lower end of the handle portion terminates in an angularly disposed tongue 4,

which is preferably integrally formed with the lower end of said portion. This tongue is connected with the lower end of the handle 2 by means of a curved portion 5, which outwardly terminates in an upwardly and angularly bent section 6, the latter in turn, terminating in 'a beveled and outwardly flaring operating end 7, the upper or inner surface of which being substantially flat to provide a bearing surface 8, whose area is increased over the remaining portions of the tool by outwardly flaring its side edges. This tongue is of sueh'construction as to be capable of being inserted beneath the unnerside of flooring or the like 9, and is of such construction that upon the oscillation of the tool, said tongue will be brought into en gagement with the flooring so as to release or disconnect the latter from its joist mounting 10.

To effect the pivotal support of the tool, and to enable proper leverage to be imparted to the latter, the lower portion of the handle 2 is provided with a pair of outwardly and laterally extending fulcrum studs 11, the latter, as shown in being located on a plane abovethe bearing surface 8. By the provision of these studs, it will be manifest that the same may be placed upon the upper surface of the mounting 10, and that when so positioned a fulcrum support will be provided for the tool. This enables the tongue 4 of the tool to be moved forwardly so that the same will un-- derlie the flooring 9 whereby the oscillation of the tool will result in an upward movement of the tongue and the consequent removal of the flooring 9 from engagement with the mounting 10. The studs are pre vented from slipping while positioned upon the mounting 10 by providing the same with beveled flanges or other similar projections 1.2, which extend circumferentially around the outer portions of the studs. Through the provision of these flanges 12, it will be observed that the tool may be securely deposited .upon the mounting 10, so that when the tool is under pressure, and is exercising its force, slipping of the studs from their operative positions will be effectively avoid- Thus, through the provision of the mounting described, a wrecking tool of considerable utility is provided and one which maybe elliciently used in its particular field of operation. It is mainly by the provision of the studs 11. that the tool 1 has been found to be so useful and efiicient in operation, said .studs allowing the tool to be used in many places, in which an ordinary crow bar could not be successfully employed, and furthermore enables the work at hand to be quickly and easily performed. By locating the studs 11 above the tongue 4, the latter may be easily moved to its operative position beneath the flooring 9 without hinderance or causing the handle 2 to assume awkward angular positions. In fact, the whole tool is so proportioned as to enable an operator to employ the same with ease and facility and without undue manual fatigue. It will be noted that the bearing surface 8 is independent of engagement with the under surface of the flooring 9 when the tool is initially positioned, but when the tool is oscillated, bearing surface will be brought into flush and even engagement over a relatively extended area of the underside of the flooring 9, thus permitting the tool 1 to exercise its prying action over an a preciable portion of the width of the flooring, feature which prevents splitting of the flooring and enables the latter to be removed from its mounting in a manner preserving its original intact condition.

I claim 1. A tool of the class described, comprising an elongated handl portion, an angu lairdisposed tongue projecting from the lower end of said handle portion, a fulcrum for said tool comprising a laterally extendstud projecting rigidly from the portion of said tool conn cting said handle and tongue, said stud being of substantially circular cross sectional formation and capable of producing a substantial support for said tool irrespective of the operating positions which the latter may assume, and means ormed with said stud to maintain the latter in an operating position and to preclude slipping thereofQ in a tool of the class described, an elone, :ed handle mom a tongue provided in conjunction with the lower end of said handle member and extending angularly with respect thereto, fixed studs extending erally from both sides of said tool connone to the juncture between said tongue ai handle member, said studs being sub- .-antially circular in cross-section throughout their length and operative to provide a substantial support for said tool irrespective of the positions which the latter may assume in operation, and sharpened ribs formed upon the peripheries of said studs and serving to preclude slipping on the part of the latter.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

ANDREWV DOWNEY. 

